William h



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. TOWERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOOTJACK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,490, dated June 4;, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Towns, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and Improved Bootjack which isUndetachable from the Boot; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l, is a vertical section of a boot, with the attachment formingthe boot jack, inserted in the heel of the same. Fig. 2, is a similarview of the same, with the said attachment projecting from the same therequired distance for use. Fig. 3, is a top view of the attachment andits case or socket detached from the boot heel. Fig. 4, is a crosssection of the same.

Similar letters in the figures refer to corresponding parts.

This invention consists in simply inclosing within the bootor shoe heelduring its,

formation, a metallic socket, after the manner of the well known bootheel sockets for spurs, with an undetachable sliding bar therein, insuch a manner as to enable the said sliding bar to be withdrawn from therear of the boot heel the required distance to form a sufiicientlodgment for the toe portion of the opposite foot of the wearer, toreadily enable him to remove the boot from the foot with ease.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, is the boot heel with a metallic socket B, inclosed securely andpermanently Within it. This socket may be either rectangular or tubularin shape, and is provided with a friction spring 0, at its lower insideportion, which Spring presses upward against the under grooved surfaceof the sliding bar D, to prevent the same from sliding too freely in thesocket B.

From the forward end of the sliding bar D, rises a stop pin or stud E,which prevents the bar from being moved beyond the required distancerearward, by coming in contact with the rear end of a slot formed in theupper part of the socket, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The rear end ofthis bar D, is curvedwto correspond with the circling shape of the bootheel, and is provided with flanges which project from its lower surfaceand sides, so as to fully close up the rear end of the socket,.when notprojecting therefrom, and thereby prevent the entrance of mud and dustto the same. The outer parts of the side flanges are tapered to admitthem being takenhold of to draw out the slide or bar D.

The operation is very simple and eifective. IVhen not in use, thesliding bar is moved into its socket, with the flanges at its rear endflush against the rear end of the same, and is prevented from beingthrown out, by the act of walking or other like cause, by the spring.When required to be used, it is read ily drawn out by taking hold of theside flanges with the fore finger and thumb nail, or by other means, andis thus made to form a strong and convenient purchase for the toeportion of the foot to remove the boot or shoe from the foot, as beforestated.

IVha-t I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Theundetachable sliding bar D, constructed and operating within the socket,in combination with the boot orshoe heel, substantially as described.

-WM. H. TOWERS. Witnesses: E. MAHER, W. S. BARD.

